Melodramatic
by BittersweetSonata
Summary: In later years, her daughter would ask her, "Mama, how did you meet Daddy?" And she would blush and say, "Er...well...I hit him with my car..."
1. Hit and Disappearance

**...I won't be able to update or post anything for about ten days starting on Thursday, but I promise to update at least three of my popular stories before then. Hold me to it. I'll do it. And if not, then...you'll get two chapters when I'm able to update and whatnot again. **

** This idea hit me in the shower. You know that place where you make all of your important life decisions? Yeah. **

** I honestly have no clue where it came from. **

** Then after it popped into my head, I started thinking about how in Thor, Jane hits him first, and then backs into him, and I laughed. It's hilarious, really. But I didn't get it from that, I don't think. **

** This is so totally random. **

** Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, any brands that may be listed in here, or any of the song lyrics, or...Tangled, or Slenderman! Yeah! I think that's all...I DO own the plot! So no stealing! Kay? **

** I didn't have time to proofread it, so I apologize for any grammar/spelling errors/mistakes. **

** Enjoy~! **

Chapter One

Hit and Disappearance

* * *

_{Stopped me at the corner, swear you hit me like a vision} _

* * *

"I don't like this road. It gives me the creeps."

The blonde had to agree with her bluenette best friend. Currently, the two of them – as well as her little sister Wendy and her cat, Charla – were driving down a deserted road in the middle of the dark woods, at ten o'clock at night. The place was indeed, the very definition of 'creepy.'

Twenty-two year-old Lucy Heartfilia and her best friend Levy McGarden ran a bookstore together, and had had to make a business trip several towns over that morning. Lucy had brought her adopted younger sister Wendy with them as their parents were both deceased.

Levy had suggested that they take a shortcut through the woods home, to try and cut down on driving time and and save gas. But really all it had done so far was freak the girls out and take them farther and farther away from the interstate.

The bluenette stared out the window, but for why Lucy wasn't sure. It was too dark to see anything, and even if it had been daylight, the trees were too thick and would have blocked any view.

"Aren't scenes like this how most horror movies and novels start out? A car full of unsuspecting and innocent girls driving down the abandoned road in the middle of the woods..." Levy gulped.

Lucy rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the hairs on her arms that were standing on end. "What are you looking for?"

"Slenderman."

Wendy looked up from the movie she was watching on the portable DVD player. "Who's Slenderman?"

Lucy sweat-dropped. "No on, sweetie. Just go back to watching _Tangled_, okay?"

The younger bluenette nodded and shifted her eyes back down to the screen.

"It is rather...ominous. I have to agree." the blonde put in, adjusting her grip on the steering wheel.

Levy nodded. "I'll say."

It was quiet again, the only noise coming from the movie and the car. Soon though, Wendy's movie ended and she shut the electronic device off, leaving only the hum of the car. After a while, Lucy decided to turn the radio on, to try and keep herself awake. That, and the humming sound was starting to add to the creepiness factor of the whole thing.

She decided on a country station, and turned the volume down so that it was just barely audible. The blonde noticed Wendy rubbing her eyes and blinking rather slowly.

"Why don't you just close your eyes and go to sleep, Wendy? It'll be a while yet before we get home, and I'll just wake you when we get there, okay?" she smiled.

The younger girl nodded sleepily. "Okay."

Wendy thought the idea was brilliant. She pulled Charla up onto her lap, and wrapped her soft pink blanket around herself. Soon, she was drifting off into Dreamland. Lucy noticed the sleeping girl in the backseat and smiled to herself. Then, she turned her eyes back to the road and a frown formed on her face.

"I haven't seen a road sign for miles. Are you sure this was actually a shortcut?"

Levy scoffed. "Of course. I've taken it before. I just...don't remember it being this long. Or dark and creepy."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Why don't you get out the map and look to see where we are?"

The bluenette nodded and pulled a map from the dash compartment. It was quiet again while she looked it over. Lucy glanced over at her worriedly. "Levy...?"

But her best friend didn't say a word.

Finally, the bluenette slowly folded the map up and placed it in the seat beside her.

Lucy was getting impatient. "Well?"

Levy looked straight out of the windshield. "We turned off onto this road at Clover, right?"

The blonde nodded. "Right."

"How long would you say we've been driving?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "About two or three hours, I think."

"Oh."

She raised a brow. "Oh?"

It was quiet once more, and the blonde was becoming a bit unnerved.

"Levy?"

The bluenette just kept staring straight ahead. "Then we're lost."

Lucy blinked. "Well...that makes...sense, I guess. Do you know where we even are?"

Levy shook her head. "Not a clue."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

And it was silent again, the only sound coming from the radio that was playing softly in the background.

* * *

Wendy had just discovered a town made of real candy, and she and Charla had just been crowned the princesses, when Lucy and Levy's screams startled her awake.

"WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT_?!"

"I TOLD YOU LU-CHAN! WE'RE GOING TO DIE! WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S MOVING!"

"LEVY! WE ARE NOT! HOLY CRAP! IT IS!"

"LU THE BRAKES! THE BRAKES!"

"I WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME! BRACE YOURSELF FOR IMPACT, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HIT IT!"

"AHHH!"

"HAAA!"

"KYA!" Wendy didn't understand what was going on, but although she was still half asleep, she could still see the figure moving in their lane.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt, and there was a dull 'thud' as the car collided with whatever was in the road. Lucy immediately turned the engine off, but her grip on the steering wheel was like a death lock. "W-what the hell was that? A deer? A moose? It was...tall."

Levy, like the other two, was still in shock. "I-I don't know. But...I think...I saw something...pink."

Wendy rubbed her eyes. "Lucy-nee? Levy-chan? What's going on? What was that?"

Lucy shakily unbuckled her seat belt. "I-I'm going to look. To see what I hit."

"A-alright." the bluenette in the passenger's seat replied.

The blonde stepped out of the car and disappeared for a moment. Then, there was a terrified scream.

"Holy crap! A person! I hit a _person_! I _killed _him! Oh no..._oh no..._"

Levy was instantly out of the car and by the blonde's side.

Sure enough. Lying on the road in front of Lucy's car was a young man. He was dressed casually, in a black graphic t-shirt, gray jeans, and black converse. He was also wearing a white scarf, but no jacket. It was chilly out, so Levy found that fact that he wasn't wearing a jacket rather peculiar. The most striking thing about him, however, was his rosy _pink _hair.

Lucy was on her knees next to him, her head in her hands. "I killed a man! How could I _do _something like that?! And not only that, but I hit him with my freaking _car_!"

Levy got down on her knees and checked the man for a pulse.

"What am I supposed to do now? I killed a man! I'm a murderer! Who'll take care of Wendy when I'm locked away for life? I'm unfit to be her guardian!" Lucy cried, tears streaming down her face.

Levy breathed a sigh of relief. "Lu! He's still alive! He looks fine, only a few scrapes and bruises, miraculously. I think he'll be okay." then she muttered something else under her breath. "How tough _is _this guy? He got hit by a car and looks practically fine...scary..."

Wendy peeked out of the car window. "Lucy-nee? What's going on?"

Levy smiled at the girl. "Ah Wendy! Come here and keep an eye on this man while I go through his pockets!"

The younger girl gave her a confused and slightly terrified look, but was at her side in a few seconds. Lucy had calmed down, and was looking at the unconscious man in concern. Levy rummaged through his jean pockets and smiled in triumph.

"Aha!" she pulled out his wallet and opened it. She squinted against the harsh glare of the headlights. "It says here that he's Natsu Dragneel, age twenty-three. He lives in Magnolia."

Wendy blinked, still half asleep. "We live in Magnolia."

Lucy touched the man's cheek. "What on earth was he doing all the way out here at this ungodly hour?"

Levy shrugged. "Who knows." then her expression turned horrified. "What if he's a psycho killer or something?! Or what if he's a victim of whatever monster is living out here?!"

Wendy looked down at the man in horror.

Lucy scowled. "Levy, stop that! You're scaring Wendy! Besides, I doubt he's a psycho killer, and there is _no _monster! You should've never played that game Jet and Droy gave you! You're just tired, that's all." she trailed her fingertips down his firm jawline softly. "He's only a victim of me hitting him with my _car. _I'm not about to leave him out here."

Levy raised a brow. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Help me load him into the backseat. We'll take him to my place. Meanwhile, Wendy can keep an eye on him while I drive and you navigate to try and find us a way out of here."

Lucy slipped her arms under his, and she realized just how _fit _he actually was. She gulped and a slight blush dusted her cheeks when she accidentally ran her fingers down his bicep. "O-okay Levy. You grab his legs, and I got his arms. We lift him on three. One, two, _three_!"

They groaned and managed to get him off the ground and into the car. Levy leaned against the hood, panting. "He's so _heavy. _I'm never doing that again."

Lucy nodded and looked over at the wide-eyed Wendy. "Alright Wendy. Climb in and keep a close eye on him, okay?" the younger girl nodded hastily and crawled into the back. She buckled her seat belt and hesitantly looked down at the man. Lucy turned to Levy. "Let's go."

A while later, when they were once again traveling down the road, Levy turned to the blonde, a slightly disturbed expression on her face. "You do realize that we just technically kidnapped him, right?"

Lucy and nodded miserably. "I'm already a terrible criminal, now. So it doesn't matter anyway. I'll tell them that you had no part in it."

* * *

A few minutes after they drove away, another car pulled up to the spot where the whole incident had happened. Two figures stepped out of the car, one was a young woman, and the other a young man.

"How could you just do something like that? You can't just leave a person out here in the middle of the woods!"

"You were asleep and he looked like he was about to throw up! Not in _my _car!"

"I could've knocked him out!"

"I just s-said that you were a-asleep!"

"We have to look for him."

"Oh no. He's not-" she sent him a stern glare and he gulped. "Y-yes ma'am!"

The scarlet-haired young woman knelt next to the spot where Lucy had hit Natsu. "G-Gray...there's blood here..."

He looked frightened. "Y-you don't think..."

"Someone hit Natsu and then drove off with his body!"

"Holy shit! Erza! W-what are we going to do?!"

* * *

_{I, I, I wasn't expecting. But who I am to tell fate where it's supposed to go?} _

* * *

**I had to add Gray and Erza in there last minute. **

** I've never played Slenderman, but I've heard plenty about it. S-scary...**

** 'Brighter Than the Sun' popped into my head when I was writing this and I was like, "That's _perfect!_"**

** Okay, so, if you ever really hit a person, call 911. Don't load them into your car and take them to your house. They may have internal bleeding. For the purposes of this story, Natsu is practically fine, but most people are not after getting hit by a car. Also, don't kidnap anyone either. Lucy and Levy aren't charged in this, and they weren't really 'kidnapping' him with the actual intent of kidnapping him, if that makes any sense. **

**My word, that was a horrible explanation. **

**So yeah. **

** Until next time! **

** Bye bye for now! **

** - Sonata-chan **


	2. Meet and Greet

**Due to popular demand, I'm back with the second chapter of 'Melodramatic!' I loved reading all of your reviews! And I'm extremely glad that you're all enjoying this new story of mine! (LOL, makes me think of the song, 'Sweet Child 'o Mine.')**

** Can any of you guess the song at the beginning, ending, and also that Lucy and Wendy sing? Of course you probably can. I really like it, and I have it on my iPod now! One of these days, I'll do the iPod shuffle challenge, how about that? **

** Longer chapter this time! Yeah! *fists pumps air* **

** Go on. Read it. I know you want to~! **

Chapter Two

Meet and Greet

* * *

_{I've got my ticket for the long way 'round, the one with the prettiest of views._

_It's got mountains, it's got rivers, it's got sights that give you shivers} _

* * *

Lucy slowly danced along to the radio as she made pancakes the next morning. She yawned and blew a few stray strands of hair out of her face. After 'kidnapping' Natsu the night before, she had recruited Levy to help her get him inside once they had finally gotten back to Magnolia. The two had unceremoniously dumped him on the couch in Lucy's living room, and then she had driven Levy home.

The blonde hadn't wanted to leave Wendy alone with a strange man she had hit with her car and then taken back to her house, but she couldn't leave him alone either. So before they left, she and Levy had dragged him up the stairs, locked him in a spare bedroom, and left twelve-year-old Wendy with a baseball bat just in case. And Lucy had driven as fast as humanly possible without breaking the speed limit to get Levy home and back. She had never been more thankful that Levy lived just a few blocks away from them.

Upon returning home, she had found Wendy propped against hallway wall outside the spare bedroom, the baseball bat leaning up against the wall beside her. The blonde had carried the younger girl to her room and tucked her into bed, then she had taken the baseball bat to her own room. Once again, just in case.

Now, it was early morning, and Lucy was busy making breakfast. She flipped another pancake onto the platter and poured more batter onto the griddle. While they were cooking, she opened the refrigerator door and pulled out some butter, orange juice, and fruit. She shut the door with her foot and deposited the items on the counter.

Wendy yawned and rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen, Charla and Plue, Lucy's small white terrier, trailing close behind her. The younger girl was still dressed in her pajamas, and her slipper-clad feet shuffled across the tiled floor over to the table.

Lucy turned and gave the girl a smile, to which the dark bluenette returned. "Morning, Wendy."

"Good morning, Lucy-nee." Wendy replied, pouring herself some orange juice.

The blonde turned the oven off and set the platter of pancakes on the table. "Did you sleep well?"

The younger girl nodded and put a pancake on her plate. "Yes. Did you?"

She chuckled. "As well as can be expected, I guess. I mean, after being up that late and having to rise so early, anyway."

Wendy flashed her a bright smile as she poured syrup over her blueberry pancake. The radio still played softly in the background, and the sun was just starting to come up. Lucy forked a piece of pancake and stuck it in her mouth as she watched her younger sister eat.

Suddenly, Wendy perked up. "Oh! I like this song!"

The blonde swallowed and turned her head in the direction of the kitchen counter, where the radio sat. A smile spread over her face. "I do too." she tapped her fingers along with the beat. "When I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone."

Wendy smiled brightly. "You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere."

"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." they sang together and laughed.

The younger girl picked a strawberry up. "I love you, Lucy-nee."

Said blonde smiled. "I love you too, Wendy."

"Lucy-nee?"

"Yeah?" she asked, taking a sip of her juice.

"What are we going to do about the man in the bedroom?"

Lucy spit the orange liquid out and started to choke. She repeatedly pounded on her chest, which wasn't easy considering her well, rather large bust. Wendy observed her older sister in concern.

"C-crap!"

* * *

Natsu Dragneel had no idea where he was. Well, correction. He _knew _where he was, but he didn't know _where _he was. Yes, it was confusing, but not as confused as he currently was. He remembered Gray dropping him off in the middle of the woods late last night, or what he assumed was last night, and he also vaguely remembered bright lights. And after that, everything was black.

So, he lay on the bed, staring up at the light green ceiling of the bedroom he was in, wondering where the hell he actually was. If that made any sense.

This was not his room. This was not his bed. That was not his dresser. That was not his mirror. This was not his comforter. These were not his pillows. Those weren't his pictures. That was not his closet. This was not his house. This wasn't Erza or Gray's or anyone's house that he knew.

So, that brought him back to the question currently running a marathon through his head.

Where the _hell _was he?

Well, he might not have known where he was, but he did know that he smelled breakfast. And boy, was he ever _hungry. _He sat up and stretched, noticing that for some strange reason, he was really quite _sore. _Funny, he didn't remember feeling like that last night, or whenever it was.

Maybe he was dreaming?

Natsu blinked and noticed his wallet and keys lying on the dresser. He raised a brow and picked them up, stuffing them into his pocket like he did every morning, before opening the door and making his way down the stairs. Stairs that he had never gone down before.

This was seriously getting weird.

He scowled. Maybe this was some sort of joke Gajeel and Gray decided to pull on him. Well, if it was, he was going to beat the living shit out of them the next time he saw them. Which he vowed would be soon. Not that it really mattered, he was going to give Gray a piece of his mind and fists for leaving him out in the middle of the forest late at night, miles from civilization, anyway. Man oh man was that Stripper in for a rude awakening.

Once he was down the stairs, he debated on where to go next. But he just decided to follow the smell of food and hope that it would lead him to the kitchen, or wherever it was coming from. He grinned when he heard the radio playing and the sound of voices.

* * *

Lucy finally stopped slamming her fist into her chest and looked up at Wendy. "I-I don't know! What _are_ we going to do?!"

The younger girl's hands flew to her mouth. "L-Lucy-nee! I don't know either!"

"Maybe I should call Levy?"

"The police?!"

"No! Not the police! I hit him with my car and then technically kidnapped him and brought him home! What would the police think of that?!"

"U-uh...u-um...t-the deli?!"

"Wendy?! Why would we call the deli?! What do sandwiches have to do with anything?!

"I-I'm sorry! I-I just couldn't think of anything else!"

"Me either!"

Wendy froze. "L-Lucy-nee?" she whispered.

The blonde stopped panicking and looked at her younger sister. "What?" she felt the need to whisper like Wendy for some reason.

The dark bluenette gulped. "D-do you hear i-it too?"

Lucy blinked and her expression turned to one of horror. Because the sound Wendy was referring to was that of footsteps coming down the stairs. The blonde quickly sprung into action, standing up, grabbing Wendy and pushing her behind her own body, and grabbing a frying pan off of the counter.

It did not help the situation that the radio had started to play 'L'il Red Riding Hood', which cast an even greater sense of dread and bad omens on the two girls. The footsteps became closer, and closer, and closer, before they finally stopped.

Wendy's eyes were wide and she held her hands to her mouth to keep from screaming. Lucy swallowed thickly and held the heavy frying pan up, ready to strike.

"Hello?" a male voice called out. "Is anyone there?"

Lucy was sure that the voice belonged to the man she had hit the previous night. It was rich and slightly deep, but held boyish mirth, giving her a sense of safety. She quickly slapped herself mentally, because this was not the time to be feeling safe because of a total stranger's voice. Really, there should never be times like that. Her grip on the frying pan loosened a little, and her stance relaxed just a bit, both without her knowledge.

Natsu raised a brow when the voices suddenly stopped, and he decided to call out to whoever was in the room. He already knew there were two girls, and he hadn't heard anything else besides the radio. But no one answered him, so he decided to go ahead and walk into the room.

The pinkette cautiously took a step into the room, only to see a blonde young woman holding a frying pan up in the air, looking ready to strike. There was a smaller girl behind her, holding onto her skirt and peeking around the blonde's legs.

When she saw him, Lucy dropped the frying pan most of the way. Wendy was still holding onto her skirt, knees shaking.

Natsu waved a hand. "Uh, hi?"

Lucy sighed in relief, she honestly didn't know why she had been scared in the first place, and her hand holding the frying pan dropped to her side. "Yeah, um, hello."

There was a long period of extremely awkward silence.

"So..." Natsu began, looking the blonde over. "...what exactly am I doing here?"

Lucy laughed nervously and gestured toward the table. "U-uh, why don't you have a seat and eat something first?"

He raised a brow but gladly took a seat. Lucy took Wendy's hand and led her over to the table, where they sat across from him. "So, really, it's an interesting and funny story." the blonde began nervously, watching as he piled pancakes on his plate and poured syrup over them.

Natsu looked up at her. "Yeah?"

Wendy nervously fiddled with her fingers.

Lucy smiled rather shakily. "Um, yeah. You see, my best friend and I own a bookstore, and, we were on our way home from a business trip a few towns over. My little sister Wendy here was with us, and Levy, my friend and business partner, suggested that we take a shortcut through the woods. We drove for, well, a long time, and ended up lost. And then, I, uh, I...I-I hit y-you with my c-car."

Cue another long period of incredibly awkward silence.

Then, Natsu started to laugh. His reaction startled both girls, as they were expecting him to be angry or something, but certainly not to _laugh. _Wendy glanced at him worriedly, and then looked up at Lucy.

"I think you might have given him brain damage, Lucy-nee." she whispered.

Lucy instantly paled.

Natsu's full-blown laughter soon died down to chuckled and he grinned at the two. "It's fine."

Lucy gaped at him. "A-are you sure? You mean, you're not going to sue me?"

He snorted. "Why would I do that?"

She threw her hands up in the air, causing Wendy to quickly lean to the side. "I hit you my my _car_! Why _wouldn't _you want to sue me?!"

Natsu shrugged and gave her a carefree grin. "I'm not dead, am I?" both girls shook their heads. "Then I'm fine. Dead people can't sue others anyway."

Lucy silently thanked the heavens, although she was still fearful she might have given him severe brain damage and caused him to think this way.

He stuck out his hand. "Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy shook it. "I know. My best friend Levy went through your pockets last night." she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Wendy paled and Lucy quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, turning bright pink and mentally cursing herself.

Natsu snorted again. "Glad she felt free to do that, I guess." he smirked at her. "Since you hit me with your car, don't I at least get to know your name?"

Lucy's blush darkened. "L-Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." she gestured to the girl sitting beside her. "And this is my younger sister Wendy."

He grinned. "Nice to meet you, Lucy and Wendy."

Suddenly, something started to go off, and Wendy jumped up and ran over to the counter. She returned to the table and handed Natsu his phone. "It was dead last night and Lucy-nee has the same kind, so I just used her charger to plug it into the wall. The call's for you." she smiled shyly.

Natsu ruffled her hair. "Thanks Wendy." he noticed it was a picture of Erza and hit 'accept.' "Hel-"

"NATSU!" Erza's screech of his name almost blew his eardrums and he held it out away from him. "WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

He chuckled nervously. "N-now E-Erza-"

"DON'T YOU 'NOW ERZA' ME! YOUR LOCATION! NOW!"

A new voice came over the phone.

"E-Erza! C-calm down! Just let me t-talk to him, o-okay?" Gray sounded extremely nervous, and Natsu could completely understand why. "Natsu, like Erza previously asked, where the _hell _are you?!"

The pinkette was still angry with him for leaving him out in the middle of the woods. "_Stripper._" he growled. "_Why_ did you leave me out there?"

Gray laughed nervously. "Now, now, we're good friends? Aye?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Look, it was your driving that made me sick in the first place."

"DON'T INSULT MY DRIVING! YOU CAN'T HANDLE ANY TYPE OF TRANPORTATION BECAUSE OF THAT DAMN MOTION SICKNESS OF YOURS!"

"Gray! Don't yell! That's my ear!"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen. I'm fine. Okay? I'll be there in a while, alright?"

"But-" Erza began to protest.

"I'm in Magnolia now. I'll just walk. See you in a few. Bye." he ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Lucy smiled nervously. "W-who was that, Natsu?"

He crossed his arms. "Just some of my friends. That's all. Hey, where are we, exactly?"

"Strawberry Street." she replied.

Natsu grinned and stood up. "Great. It's not that long of a walk then. Thanks Lucy, Wendy. I'll see you around!" he paused. "Where exactly is your front door?"

After leading him to the entry way, the blonde waved and Wendy gave him a small smile. "Yeah, see you around."

And then he was out the door.

Wendy observed her sister curiously as Lucy watched Natsu disappear down the street. She could have sworn that she saw a small smile on the blonde's face.

* * *

_{But it sure would be prettier with you} _

* * *

**Crappy ending is crappy. But meh, I didn't know how else to write it. SO~ there it is! **

** I realized only after I read last chapter how creepy and hilarious it sounded when I said that Levy searched Natsu's pockets. XD I just had to mention it again. Also, I know that I mentioned Charla and Plue following Wendy into the kitchen, but I forgot to write them in there, and I'm too lazy to go back and fix it, so just pretend that Lucy let them outside or something. I don't know. **

** Thanks a million for all the follows, favorites, and reviews~! They make me so happy! **

** Until next time! **

** Ja ne~! **

** - Sonata-chan **


	3. Cute Guy Street

**If you've been with this story since the beginning,** **p****lease read the note at the bottom of this chapter. **

** If not, ignore this and continue reading 'cause it's not going to mean jack to you and doesn't directly affect you, or this story. **

Chapter Three

Cute Guy Street

_{I always know that you make me smile} _

* * *

It had been about a month since Lucy had hit Natsu with her car and they had actually met in her kitchen. Funny thing was, the blonde actually kind of missed him. Now, she knew it was weird because she'd, you know, hit him with her car and then was prepared to whack him over the head with a frying pan. That, and she'd only talked to him for about fifteen minutes.

Yes, she was nuts.

And she knew it.

But it was true, she really did miss him. He didn't sue her, after all, and he'd taken the whole 'getting hit by her car' thing in a stride. He laughed it off for crying out loud! Yeah, she still worried that she'd given him some serious brain damage, because, what person in their right mind wouldn't sue you if you hit them with your car? And laughing about it?

She face-planted the counter every time she thought about it.

However, as much as she wanted to see him again, she hadn't. He'd said that he lived in Magnolia, which really wasn't all that big of a town, and his bright pink hair wasn't exactly subtle, but she hadn't seen him no matter how hard she looked. And she had looked _hard._

Wendy was left to wonder why her sister sometimes moped about not finding the strange man, because she really had no idea why her sister was searching for him in the first place. Honestly, Lucy probably didn't either.

Levy popped her bubble gum as she watched the blonde checking the shelves. Her brows furrowed as she followed the girl's gaze outside the picture window and to the crowds passing by outside. The bluenette chuckled.

"Still looking for him?"

Lucy tore her gaze away from the window and slipped a book into the shelf, replacing the one that was missing. "I-I...no! I was just...you know..." she chewed her lip as she tried to think of an excuse. "Oh look! I need to put another volume out here to replace this one that's missing! Be right back!" she high-tailed it out of the front of the store and into the back room.

Levy snorted and rolled her eyes. She leaned over the counter and tapped her fingers to the music playing in the background while she waited for Lucy to come back from hiding. Her eyes wandered back to the window, and she decided to do some people watching.

Her mahogany orbs followed the pedestrians as they walked by, but a specific one caught her eye. He had long spiky-looking black hair, and was dressed in a black graphic t-shirt, gray jeans, and black boots. He also had piercings all over his face and she winced when she thought about the pain they must have caused him.

She immediately looked away when he glanced over in her direction, but not before she noticed he had red eyes. That was certainly strange, but then again, he didn't look exactly 'normal.'

"What are you blushing for?"

Lucy's voice startled her and she almost swallowed her bubble gum. "L-Lu-chan!" she wheezed, slamming her small fist into her chest.

The blonde raised a brow at her actions and looked out the window. She too saw the guy with all the piercings, who was still staring into the window. She cocked her head to the side and turned back to her coughing best friend.

"Were you looking at him?" she asked, leaning over the counter like Levy had previously been doing.

The bluenette cleared her throat. "W-what? Me looking at h-him? No."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure."

Levy picked up a book and flipped through it. "So, you were looking for Natsu earlier, right?"

The blonde looked away and was trying to think of a retort when she was saved by the bell dinging, signaling that someone had come in the door. The two looked up to see a scarlet-haired young woman standing in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" Lucy asked her.

She fidgeted with the hem of her light blue sundress. "Yes, I was wondering, do you carry cookbooks?"

The blonde smiled. "Sure we do. Come with me." she walked out from behind the counter and over to one of the shelves. "What kind of cookbook are you looking for?"

The young woman smiled. "Ah, one for desserts."

Lucy nodded and skimmed over some of the titles. "You know, you sort of sound familiar...do I know you?"

She frowned a bit. "I don't think so...what is your name?"

"Lucy Heartfilia."

"I'm Erza Scarlet, but I don't ever recall meeting you. Maybe we went to the same high school or college?"

The blonde shrugged. "I don't know, it's just, I think I've heard your voice before. Maybe it was in the grocery store or something. Here you go." she pulled out a book and handed it to the other woman.

Erza smiled. "Thank you, Lucy."

She chuckled. "It's no problem."

It had been a beautiful morning, so earlier that day, Levy had propped open the glass door to let some of the fresh air in. Now, the three girls caught wind of a conversation going on outside nearby. One that was getting rather heated.

"You're still on about that? It happened like a month ago!"

Huh, that voice sounded strangely familiar to Lucy as well.

"You left me out in the woods in the middle of the night!"

She definitely recognized that one.

"I though you were gonna hurl all over my backseat!"

"Yeah, cars over friends! Nice morals, Stripper!"

"It's a really nice car, and if you didn't get motion sickness every time you even _look _at a damn vehicle, you would know that, ash-for-brains!"

The very familiar voices were getting closer.

"Yeah, a car your _mother _bought for you!"

"Don't talk about my Mother like that! And, she did not! I bought it myself!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your mom wouldn't buy such a nice car for you anyway, ice-_princess. _You'd probably rather have a carriage pulled by ponies or something like that."

"That's it! I'm gonna _murder _you!"

Erza slammed the cookbook back into Lucy's chest, startling and momentarily knocking the breath out of her. Then, the scarlet-haired girl marched out of the open door.

"E-Erza!" the two voices cried in unison.

"You two!" she yelled, and then something that sounded like a fist connecting with someone's head echoed through the air. Lucy winced.

Erza strode back into the bookstore, dragging two young men behind her by the ears. The guy Levy had been looking at earlier trailing behind the three of them as well.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" the dark-headed one yelped.

"We're sorry – ow - Erza! We won't do it-_ow_-again! We promise!" the pink-headed one cried, trying to keep his footing.

Hold up.

_Pink _hair?

Lucy's jaw dropped as she watched the four come closer. Of course, Natsu had said Erza's name when he had answered the phone. And the other guy must have been the one who had taken over the call for her. What had Erza called him? Gray, was it?

Erza dropped both of their ears and Lucy handed her the cookbook. Natsu straightened and rubbed his sore ear, muttering barely audible curses. His dark eyes trailed over to Lucy, who he realized with a start, was _Lucy._

A grin formed on his face when he saw her, and he didn't even notice the weird look Gray was giving him.

"Hey Luce!" he greeted, waving a hand.

All eyes turned to him, yes, Levy's too. The blonde felt herself shrink at his gaze. "H-hey Natsu." she waved weakly.

"You know this chick?" Gray asked, using his thumb to indicate Lucy.

Natsu nodded and beamed brightly. "Yeah, she hit me with her car!"

And cue extremely awkward silence.

All eyes turned to Lucy, who wanted to be anywhere except _there _at that moment. Why, _why _did he have to say _that_?! Of all the things he could have said, he had to say _that_!

Levy started to crack up in the background, her laughter breaking the silence looming over all of them. Erza, Gray, and the unnamed guy stared at Natsu in shock.

"You were hit with car?! When?!" Erza screeched, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him.

Natsu flailed as he tried to get out of the redhead's iron grasp. "When Stripper left me out in the woods!"

Gray instantly paled, as Erza's gaze fixed itself upon him. The other guy blinked a few times. Gray, whose shirt had mysteriously disappeared, waved his arms around. "No please! I don't wanna die! I won't ever do it again! I promise! Just let me _live_! I'll buy you strawberry cake for a month, just let me keep my life!"

If looks could kill, Erza would have murdered Gray and buried him six feet down by now. She turned back to Natsu. "Are you okay?! You didn't have any internal bleeding, did you?!"

He looked confused. "No. I don't think so."

Erza glanced over at Lucy, who was what Levy was sure was an unhealthily pale white.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" the blonde stuttered and waved her hands about in a crazy manner. "I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident! I swear! I never meant to hit him!"

At this opportune moment, Wendy chose to skip into the bookstore.

"Lucy-nee, Levy-chan, I'm back! I brought the bagels that you wanted! I also got some bluebe-" she but herself off when she saw the scene in front of her.

There was the man that her older sister had hit with her car about a month before, who was locked in a death grip of a woman who she'd never seen before. Two other guys, one who was a sheet white and another who was sort of scary-looking, were standing a little off to the side. Levy was laughing her head off behind the counter, and Lucy? Lucy looked like she was about to faint.

Wendy decided to come back later. She'd go to the ice cream parlor for a while. The young girl abruptly spun around on her heel and ran out of the store. On her way out, she bumped into Juvia Lockser, a friend of her older sister and Levy. The taller bluenette looked down at the younger girl in confusion.

Wendy gave her a hasty salute. "Gotta go! See you Juvia-chan!" and then she was gone.

Juvia raised a slender brow at the younger girl, and continued on to the bookstore to see her friends. She glanced down at the basket full of sweets swinging on her arm and smiled. Her friends were in for a treat. She owned a bakery just down the street, and had baked some of their favorite pastries that morning, so she had decided to bring them some.

The bluenette hummed to herself as she skipped down the sidewalk and into the open door.

"Lucy! Levy! Juvia brought some or your favorite pastries that Juvia just baked this morning! Juvia thought that you would like them! Also, Juvia would like to buy-" her eyes widened at what she saw.

The hottest guy she'd ever seen in her life was standing only six feet in front of her. Her cobalt blue eyes were wide and she dropped the basket she was carrying. He had blackish-blue hair, and dark blue eyes. For some reason, he was missing his shirt, and she could see his well-defined six pack and biceps. She swore that her face matched the color of the strawberries she had used in her pastries that morning. And for some strange reason, she felt light-headed.

She also recognized the previously 'unnamed guy' laughing in the corner. It was her old friend from high school, Gajeel Redfox. Goodness, had he gotten _more _piercings since she last saw him at graduation?

Lucy's chocolate orbs darted over to the speechless bluenette who had just walked through the door. "Juvia!" she cried, thankful for some kind of distraction. She could have sworn she'd heard Wendy a few minutes prior, but it must have just been her imagination, which was currently running two hundred marathons in her head.

"L-Lucy, w-who is t-that?" the bluenette pointed to Gray.

The blonde looked confused. "Huh?"

"Gray Fullbuster." said man answered for her.

Juvia fainted.

Gray rushed over and caught the girl just before she hit the ground, relieving everyone else present in the room. Lucy knelt beside the girl and checked her pulse. "She's fine."

Levy put the back of her hand to her forehead. "Oh thank Mavis."

Gajeel peered down at her. "I haven't seen Juvia since high school." he patted Lucy on the head. "I didn't know she was friends with Bunny-Girl, here."

Lucy looked around, thoroughly confused. "What? Bunny-Girl?"

Erza released Natsu and leaned down. "I have some medical training."

Gray pulled the unconscious Juvia closer to his bare chest and looked at Erza in horror. "You work in art gallery!"

Lucy waved her hands. "She's fine! I said that she was fine!"

Gajeel nodded. "Listen to Bunny-Girl."

"Why am I Bunny-Girl?!"

Lucy never knew that hitting one pink-headed guy out in the woods in the middle of the night with her car would get her into situations like this.

"I think I know how to do CPR..." Natsu thought aloud.

Gray looked even more horrified. "You're just a firefighter! Why should I let _you _near her?!"

Erza raised a finger, a slight look of confusion on her face. "Wait, if he's a firefighter, doesn't that mean he has at least _some _medical training?"

The dark-haired young man opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, a look of confusion on his face.

Gajeel grunted. "He should."

Levy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, technically, if you're going to be a firefighter-,"

"I said that she's fine!" Lucy yelled, instantly shutting everyone else up. "Now, just lay her down on the couch in the back room and leave her alone!"

Gray promptly stood and followed the blonde into the back room, where he laid Juvia on the couch. Then, after quite a bit of explaining on Lucy's part, Erza, Gray, and Gajeel (mostly Erza) understood that Natsu was indeed, fine, and that Lucy hitting him had been an accident.

Erza gave the blonde a tight hug. "These things happen, Lucy. Don't feel too bad."

Lucy looked a little horrified. "Not normally they don't!"

And so, began the start of many close friendships, and even romances.

* * *

_{Please stay for a while now} _

* * *

** IMPORTANT: Kay, so, I sort of edited this chapter and tweaked a few things. It probably still has spelling/grammar errors/mistakes, so I'm sorry about that, but I had to change something. **

** So, if you actually read this and noticed, Natsu is now a firefighter, due to something SrngDrgn said about not being able to see Natsu as a comic book artist, and she always pictured him as a someone who helped save people. Now, don't think I changed it just because she said that, it wasn't even constructive criticism (which, by the way, my grandfather says there is no such thing as), just something that she said. But as I thought about it, _I _couldn't see Natsu as one either. **

** That's why this hasn't been updated in _months_, because I got stuck. **

** But now I know where I want this to go and I have an actual plot so that's good. **

** I'll be posting the fourth chapter in an hour or so, I just wanted to fix this and let you know. **

** Thanks, and ja ne!**

** - Sonata-chan**


	4. Start a Fire (Unintentionally)

Chapter Four

Start a Fire

(Unintentionally)

* * *

_{So tell me what I gotta do to win you over} _

* * *

"So have you talked to him recently?" Levy questioned, popping a fry into her mouth.

The blonde froze, her burger halfway to her mouth. "Who?"

Juvia chuckled and took a bite of her salad. "Natsu, silly. Who else would we be talking about?"

Lucy almost immediately turned pink. "W-what?" she stuttered. "O-o course not. Not since, y-you know. Oh hey! Look over there at that! It's that one guy!" she pointed her finger across the room where the television was mounted on the restaurant wall.

Levy rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I know enough not to fall for _that one _again. Seriously Lucy, if you're going to distract someone, you need to-,"

The blonde cut her off, waving her free hand wildly and shaking her head. "No, no! I'm serious! Look!"

Both blunettes turned their heads to see a picture of a man flash across the scene.

"-_police say that this man, commonly known as Bora the Prominence, is suspected in over two hundred kidnappings of girls around Fiore, human trafficking, drug possession, and at least two murders. Bora was spotted in Magnolia, and police arrested him on possession of drugs. Bora lured his victims in by inviting them to a 'party' on his yacht, and then drugged them when they were on board. Police around Fiore and Bosco have been trying to catch him for two years." _the newsman, Jason, reported. "_So thank you random citizen of Magnolia for reporting the sighting! You're cool!" _

The three young women shuddered.

"Can you believe someone like _that _was here in Magnolia?" Levy asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

The other blunette sighed. "Juvia can't even believe that people like that exist, let alone here in our small town."

Lucy raised a brow, taking a sip of her tea. "Come on, Magnolia's not _that _small."

"Anyway, wouldn't you feel safer with a strong man around, to protect you and Wendy?" her vertically challenged best friend inquired nonchalantly, although there was a sparkle in her eyes.

"Juvia sure would." said girl spoke in a dreamy tone, her eyes distant and a small smile on her face.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself, and Wendy too." she huffed, aggressively taking a bite of her burger.

Levy snorted, almost choking on her grilled cheese. "_Right. _And _that's _why you were going to knock out the man you technically hit with your car then kidnapped with a frying pan." she raised a slender blue brow.

Juvia started to laugh, trying to hide it by taking a drink of her lemonade. Lucy bristled and her shoulders stiffened. Levy let an amused smile slip onto her face, and directed her eyes over to the window.

"Yeah, well, _you _try being in the same house with a strange man who you…yeah, and _then _you can tell me that." the blonde fumed. "Besides, what _else _was I supposed to do? Huh?"

Juvia twirled a piece of her periwinkle hair around her index finger. "Sorry, Lucy. Juvia didn't mean to laugh. But about what Levy said earlier, you know, are you ever going to date? Get married?"

Levy grinned. "Yeah Lu, answer the question."

The blonde's lips formed a tight line. "Maybe." she sank into the booth, a defeated aura surrounding her. "But, there's just…guys are awful, you know? I've not found a decent man in forever. And I want a guy who will treat me right, and is nice to Wendy too."

Juvia smiled and leaned forward. "But Lucy, you _have _met a nice guy." her smile quickly turned into a scowl. "And Juvia does not mean Gray." she seemed to have realized what she'd said and started to get flustered. "J-Juvia means…Juvia didn't…of course Gray is nice! Just…not for Lucy!"

Levy rolled her eyes. "Well you know, despite Juvia's jealousy over that guy named Gray, she has a point. We're talking about Natsu here, in case you haven't caught on yet."

Lucy crossed her arms. "Well what about him?"

"It's obviously you like him." Juvia sang. "And besides, what kind of guy just forgives you like that when you hit him with your car, then practically kidnap him? He's one of a kind." she paused. "But…not as great as Gray."

Lucy raised a brow. "Well what if I do? Like him, I mean. It's not like he likes me, so there. That plan of yours is shot."

"Ho ho." Levy shook her finger. "You don't know _that._ What if he _does _like you? Hmm? What _then_?"

The blonde frowned. "How would you know?"

The blunette smiled slyly. "I have my ways."

Lucy felt a smile tug at her lips. "Sure, sure. Of course you do."

* * *

Wendy blinked a few times, looking up from her homework and over to her older sister who was working at the stove. The blonde had been strangely quiet for most of the evening, and she was starting to worry. Had something happened at the store? Not a robbery, she hoped. Or was it something that happened at lunch? She'd heard about Bora at a friend's house earlier that day, so maybe it was that?

The twelve-year-old decided to ask.

"Lucy? Did something bad happen?" she laid her pencil beside her history book and watched as the blonde turned to face her.

"What?" Lucy asked with a smile. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

Wendy shrugged, feeling a small smile make its way onto her own face. "I don't know. You just seemed really quiet tonight."

The blonde waved a hand. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking, is all." she made her way over to the table and sat down in a chair across from her younger sister. "So, what's this I hear about you having a crush on Romeo Conbolt?" she questioned a sly smile playing on her lips.

The navy-haired girl felt herself blush. "O-oh. That's nothing! Chelia just likes to make things up is all." she informed, although her normally quiet voice was becoming lower and lower with each word.

Lucy did her best to suppress a chuckle. "A rumor? I see. It doesn't seem like Chelia though, you know, to just make something serious like that up."

"Other girls do it all the time."

"Ah, good point." the blonde noted. "But I know Chelia, and she just doesn't strike me as that type."

Wendy sank lower into her seat. "W-well, um, maybe….it might have…she might have done it because…because I noticed she has a crush on Eve Tearm."

"Wait." her sister held up a hand. "Eve Tearm? As in, the Eve Tearm who Ichiya adopted?"

Wendy nodded, and the blonde really wondered what in the world the pink-haired girl saw in that blonde boy. She shook her head, blinking a few times. She had more important things to deal with right now.

Lucy nodded her head, a wide grin on her face. "Ah, I see." she gave her younger sister a one-shouldered shrug before leaning forward. "Then maybe," her eyes sparkled, and Wendy began to feel nervous, "Chelia told me that you had a crush on Romeo because you noticed her crush on Eve."

Wendy nodded, a small smile forming on her face.

"Well, if Chelia really has a crush on Eve, then you must _really _have a crush on Romeo too, then!" Lucy announced her conclusion, and the smile on Wendy's face dropped instantly.

The younger girl fidgeted with her white skirt, almond-colored eyes downcast. "Must be." she whispered quietly.

Lucy smiled softly and reached across the table, placing a hand on the girl's arm. "Hey, it's alright. Everyone has a crush on someone at some point in their lives. And Romeo's a good boy. He watches out for you at school and when you play too. If you have to have a crush on someone, then I'd prefer someone like Romeo to someone like Eve."

Wendy looked up, with a small smile on her blushing face. "Really?"

The blonde nodded. "Really." she titled her head forward a bit. "Although, if he tries to kiss you or something, then you send him straight to me, understood?"

Her younger sister instantly blushed harder. "L-Lucy!"

Said young woman laughed. "Kidding! I'm kidding!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "But seriously." she gave the younger girl a serious look.

"I promise! I promise!" the midnight-haired girl waved her hands around wildly. Then, her eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a small 'o.' "L-Lucy?"

"Yeah?" the blonde asked, raising a brow at her sister's sudden strange behavior.

Suddenly, a loud, fast, and constant beeping filled the air. Lucy turned around to see the chili she had been preparing on fire, the flames dancing high in the air, catching on a kitchen towel she had hung from a rack on the wall.

"_The kitchen's on fire_!" both girls shrieked, scrambling to get up from their chairs.

"U-uh…what do we do?" Wendy asked hurriedly, panicking.

"Stay calm!"

"Don't panic!"

"Get the fire extinguisher!"

"We don't have one!"

"Oh no!"

"Call 911!"

Both girls were shouting things back in forth in haste as they panicked. Finally, Lucy grabbed a house phone, and Wendy's hand by the other, pulling the girl out of the room and slamming the door shut.

She quickly dialed the three numbers and held the phone up to her ear, pushing Wendy towards the front door. "Hello?! 911?! My kitchen's on fire! Send help!"

* * *

The blonde and blunette sat miserably on their floral-print living room sofa. Lucy's head was in her hands, elbows supporting her upper body by leaning on her thighs. Wendy's hands were folded in her lap, head down. The firefighter in front of them observed the two girls with amusement.

"So, how exactly did the fire start?" he questioned, crossing his arms and taking on a mock anger sort of tone.

Lucy lifted her head a bit to look at him. "That was my fault, I'm sorry sir. I wasn't paying attention to the food I'd put on the stove. It was a stupid mistake."

He waved his hand dismissively, trying desperately to hold back a laugh. "Don't worry about it. While a lot of house fires are caused by faulty wiring, food left unattended is also another large cause."

The blonde looked even more miserable. "…Is that supposed to make me feel better sir? Because I don't really think it did."

He let a small smirk form on his face. "Just informing you. You know, you should really keep a fire extinguisher on hand, but I think, in this case, it was a good thing that you called 911. That fire could have easily done a lot more damage if you hadn't, and it was good thinking to pull your younger sister outside and away from the danger."

Lucy felt the smallest of smiles pull at her lips, although it was a tired one. "Thank you, sir."

"On another note," he scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair, "the cooking side of your kitchen is shot. You're gonna need to get that replaced. I suggest making an insurance claim tomorrow. They'll probably help with most of the damages. But it looks to me like you're going to have to find another form of supplying food for a while."

Lucy sighed and titled her head to the side. "I guess now's a good time to do that remodeling in the kitchen I was thinking about."

"That's the spirit!" the firefighter grinned, clapping a hand down on her shoulder.

She chuckled humorlessly.

His grin turned into a smirk and he leaned against the light pink papered wall. "But you know, you didn't have to set fire to your kitchen just to see me again."

Lucy felt a blush rise to her cheeks, not to go unnoticed by either her younger sister, or the handsome firefighter in her living room.

He ran a gloved hand through his unruly pink hair, which was even more mussed due to the helmet he had to wear, although he'd discarded that long ago after he'd put out the fire. "You know something Lucy Heartfilia," he began in his deep voice with a sparkle in his onyx eyes, "you're one dangerous woman."

"You know something else?" Lucy spoke up, although it was in a quiet voice. "It seems to me you're drawn to danger, Natsu Dragneel."

Said young man laughed.

Wendy observed the scene quietly, not missing how her older sister's cheeks flushed a pretty pink when the firefighter laughed.

Natsu shook his head slightly. "Maybe you're right." one side of his mouth turned up as he watched the two sullen girls. "Tell you what, how about I take you two to dinner?"

Lucy's chocolate orbs widened, and she felt her heart pick up its pace. '_He's just being nice._' she reminded herself. '_It's not like it's a date. Wendy will be there too._'

She looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

Natsu nodded, moving from his position of leaning against her wall to offering her a hand up. "I'm sure. You've been through a lot tonight, it's the least I could do."

Lucy put her hand in his, and she realized just how small and fragile it seemed compared to his large and strong one. Natsu pulled her up from off the couch with ease.

"I should be the one taking _you _to dinner." she mumbled. "You did technically save my house and the remainder of my kitchen after all."

Natsu gave her a lopsided smirk as he opened the front door for the blonde and her younger sister. "Hey, it's fine. I get paid to put out fires, so it's nice to know I'm still needed in the world."

Lucy felt herself blush again at his remark, hoping the chilly Saturday night air would cool her face off before he noticed.

* * *

_{And every time you reach for me, you'll find a hand out}_

* * *

** I had so much fun writing this chapter! **

** How many of you guessed that the firefighter was Natsu before it was revealed. Not like it was that hard. **

** Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors/mistakes. I'm sure that there are some. Joy. **

** I just don't feel like proofreading. **

** Levy has her ways~ hahaha. **

** If you're confused, because in the chapter before this, I said that Natsu was a comic book artist, go back and reread chapter three. I edited it and made some tweaks. **

** Hope you liked this chapter, my favorite so far I think. And I'm the author of this thing. **

** Ja ne!**

** - Sonata-chan **


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